Logicity Solution Builder

Overview

When a user wants more flexibility, automation and more efficiency when running Crystal Reports, then the user should use Logicity Solution Builder instead of simply opening the Crystal Report directly.  By using Logicity Solution Builder, a user can pre-fill data and report parameters, can select various ways to run a Crystal Report (view, e-mail, print, save), and can schedule the reports to run automatically.  When the Professional features are unlocked, users can also password protect Crystal Reports, encrypt the solution file (to hide database login information), and can group reports into a convenient workspace.

Screen Layout

There are three main areas of the screen.Logicity User Guide - Solution Builder - Screenshot of Solution Builder App

File & Execution Commands

Underneath the menus are a row of buttons for performing file functions (new, open, save, save as) and setting methods of execution (execute RRD, schedule). 

  • New – Create a new RRD solution file.
  • Open – Open an existing RRD solution file.
  • Save – Save the current RRD solution file.
  • Execute RRD – Initiates the execution of each line of the RRD solution file.
  • Schedule – Schedules the execution of the RRD in Windows task scheduler.
  • Set Password (Pro Feature) – Allows you to set a password that the user must enter before running the RRD solution file.  The solution file is also encrypted.
  • Encrypt (Pro Feature) - Allows you to encrypt the RRD file so that database login information cannot be viewed.
  • Workspace Mode (Pro Feature) - A toggle on/off that determines how the RRD solution file is run by Logicity Desktop.  If Workspace Mode is turned on, the solution file will be opened in the Logicity Workspace, which presents all of the actions in the solution and allows the user to execute them individually.

Action Controls

Along the left side of the screen are buttons for controlling solution actions.  These include adding a new action, editing an existing action, removing an existing action, or re-ordering actions.

Action List

The primary area of the window displays a list of all of the actions in this solution.  Each line represents a single action and they are displayed in the order they will be executed. 

  • Each action line contains the following information:
  • An icon that represents the way that the action will be executed (view, e-mail, print, save)
  • The name of the action
  • The file path & name

Creating a New RRD Solution File

The Logicity Solution Builder Wizard walks a user through the process of creating or editing an action.  The wizard is executed when the user clicks the ADD ACTION button or the EDIT ACTION button.

Step 1 - Action Name

The first step in creating/editing an action is to provide a display name.  This is how the action will be identified in the list of actions in the main window of Logicity Solution Builder.

Logicity User Guide - Solution Builder - Screenshot of Step 1 asking for name of action
PRO FEATURE - In the professional version, you can right-click in this field to add a variable.
 Logicity User Guide - Solution Builder - Screenshot of Step 1 but inserting a runtime variable which is a professional feature
  • After entering a name, click the NEXT button.
  • If you wish to cancel your work, click the CANCEL button.

Step 2 - File Name

The second step is to select the file that you want to execute.  Click the BROWSE button to go to the location of the report file you wish to use. 

  • After browsing to the file, click the NEXT button.
  • If you wish to return to the previous screen, click the BACK button.
  • If you wish to cancel your work, click the CANCEL button.
PRO FEATURE - In the lite version of Logicity, you may only create an action for a Crystal Report.  In the Professional Version, you may select another file type (such as a Microsoft Office document, batch file, etc.) to create an action from.
Logicity User Guide - Solution Builder - Screenshot of Step 2 asking for the report name

 

Step 3 – Database Info

If your report requires a database login, select “Specified” here and fill in a username and password.  If no login is required, simply select “None”.

 Logicity User guide - Solution Builder - Screenshot of Database Credentials Entry Screen
PRO FEATURE - If your report utilizes data from multiple sources, you may need to authenticate against multiple databases. Simply check the "Multi-Database Authentication" check box and Logicity will scan the report for data sources and provide boxes for the user name and password to be entered.
  • After making your selection, click the NEXT button.
  • If you wish to return to the previous screen, click the BACK button.
  • If you wish to cancel your work, click the CANCEL button.

Step 4 – Parameters

If you would like to automatically fill in any of the parameters on your report, you may do so here.  Otherwise, the user will be prompted for the parameters at runtime.

Logicity User Guide - Solution Builder - Screenshot for selecting parameters

When you click “Specified”, Logicity will search the report and list the parameters that are available.  Simply select the parameter you wish to pre-fill information for and click the ADD button.  A pop-up window will appear that asks you to specify the data for the parameter.  Enter the parameter and then click the ADD button.  When all parameters have been entered, simply click the OK button to save them.

Logicity User Guide - Solution Builder - Screenshot for entering parameters
PRO FEATURE – Professional users can right-click on a field and insert a variable.
  • After specifying all desired parameters, click the NEXT button.
  • If you wish to return to the previous screen, click the BACK button.
  • If you wish to cancel your work, click the CANCEL button.

Step 5 – Action

Select what action you would like to perform with the report.  You can select to view, e-mail, print, or save.

View Action

The default action is view, which will simply display the report on the screen. 

PRO FEATURE - In the Professional version, admins can lock-down various screen controls when viewing a Crystal Report. 

The following screen controls can be hidden from users:Logicity User Guide - Solution Builder - Screenshot for selecting viewer controls to turn off

  • Export Button
  • Print Button
  • Refresh Button
  • Page Navigation Controls
  • Go To Page Button
  • Open as PDF
  • Send As Email
  • View Full screen
  • Group Tree
  • Drill Down
  • Close Button
  • Find Text Button
  • Zoom Control
  • Open as XLS
  • Send as HTML Email
  • Timed Refresh XX seconds
  • The default zoom level can also be set in Logicity Professional.

 

e-Mail Action

This choice e-mails the output of the report to recipients.  The user specifies the server information, the “From” address, the “To” addresses, the subject line, attachment format, and the body of the e-mail.

This screen has the following info:

  • SMTP server information, port
  • Authenticate to the server
  • Ability to use SSL
  • “From” address, “To” address, CC, and BCC addresses, separated by commas
  • Subject line
  • Filename
  • Body of the email
  • Attachment format
  • Receive read receipts
  • Suppress the email action if no records exist in the report
  • Encrypt attachments with a password
Logicity User Guide - Solution Builder - Screenshot for email action 

 

Print Action

This choice allows the user to select to print to the report default printer, or to another selected printer.

  • Print to the printer specified in the report itself
  • Print to a selected printer
  • Suppress printing is the report has no records.
Logicity User Guide - Solution Builder - Screenshot for print parameters

 

Save Action

This choice allows the user to select the file format to save as, the destination directory, and the file name.

This screen allows you to:

  • Select a file format
  • A destination directory – browse to the location
  • Checkbox to suppress the save command if no records exist
  • Enter a file name
Logicity User Guide - Solution Builder - Screenshot for selecting save parameters
PRO FEATURE – You can right click and add variables to the filename to change the filename based on things like date and time.
PRO FEATURE - Ability to encrypt the file with a password
NOTE:  Only one report action can be specified per action-line of the solution.  To run the same report multiple ways, simply add another action to the solution using the same Crystal Report.
  • After specifying all desired parameters, click the NEXT button.
  • If you wish to return to the previous screen, click the BACK button.
  • If you wish to cancel your work, click the CANCEL button.

Step 6 – Logging (Pro Feature)

If you want to enable logging so that Logicity logs when a user performs the selected action, simply check the box, browse to a destination directory, and enter a log file name.  The logging tracks the date & time report was run, the Crystal Report filename, the user name, and the computer name.
Users can right click on a field and insert a variable. 
Logicity User Guide - Solution Builder - Screen shot of logging user activity
  • To complete the process, click the FINISH button.
  • If you wish to return to the previous screen, click the BACK button.
  • If you wish to cancel your work, click the CANCEL button.

 

 

Troubleshooting

View Actions

  • If you are having issues running a report in Solution Builder, try opening the report using Logicity Desktop (double clicking .rpt file) and verify that the report itself runs properly in Logicity.
  • If you have more than one report available, check to see if any other reports are having this same issue.
  • If you are not using an OLE connection try only filling out “User Name” and “Password”.
Logicity User Guide - Solution Builder - Troubleshooting

Email Actions

  • If you are having issues running a report in Solution Builder, try opening the report using Logicity Desktop (double clicking .rpt file) and verify that the report itself runs properly in Logicity.
  • If you have more than one report available, check to see if any other reports are having this same issue.
  • If your email server requires SSL, please make sure you have a Logicity Professional license as this is a Pro only feature.
  • The parameter tab in the solution builder must have any parameters specified if parameters exist in the report.
  • If the Schedule button in Solution builder is grayed out, make sure you save the solution file first.  The scheduling option becomes active after the solution file has been saved initially.